Our most loved festival is just round the corner. Yes it’s DIWALI. Have you ever wondered, why most of the people gain weight during diwali? The real culprit is the snack and sweet options that we choose during Diwali. This festival is all about Sweets and Snacks and it’s hard to resist it. So here I am sharing few tips on how you can maintain your weight in Diwali while having your favourite snack and sweets.
DIWALI SNACKING AND WEIGHT GAIN
1) Intake of DEEP FRIED FOODS:- Love Chakli, Shev, Karanji, Shankarpali.Well before having it just think twice coz deep fried foods are obviously high in Kcal and fats which will make you gain weight very easily.
2) Intake of “SWEET FOODS”:- Ladoos, Mithais, barfis etc are also one of the most loved foods during diwali. When we indulge in sweets at times we forget our limitations and so high amount of sweets will definitely lead to weight gain
Well I understand it’s difficult to “SAY NO” during this time. Also this festival occurs once a year but let’s focus on how we can make our traditional snacks /sweets healthier.
TIPS FOR HEALTHY SNACKINGS DURING DIWALI
Do include Nuts: Add more of nuts like almonds, walnuts, apricots, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, raisins to your sweet preparations to make them healthier.
Choose your sweets wisely :- If you must eat sweets, then make sure you don’t overindulge. Stick to one or two sweets; also pick sweets that are less sugar laden.
Eat homemade sweets: Stick to homemade laddoos made from jaggery and dry fruits as they control your calorie intake. Opt for low-fat, low-sugar ingredients to avoid putting extra burden on your liver.
Replace that sweet source: Use organic jaggery or honey as refined sugar substitute. You could also opt for unrefined sugar as well.
Add variety to your festival with spices: Do add flavours to your sweet as well as snack dishes with spices like cinnamon, cardamom, saffron, black peppercorn as spices have shown to give a boost to your metabolism.
Try some Healthy Ladoos: Give a break to your traditional High Kcal Ladoos. Try some healthy ladoo recipes like Mixed nuts and oats ladoo, dalia and flaxseeds ladoo, jowar and dates ladoo, multigrain ladoo. Replace the refined sugar in your ladoos with natural sweeteners like jaggery or dates. Add some healthy seeds to your ladoos to make it healthier.
Swap your flrs: In most of our snacks / sweets preparations refined flr (maida) is used. Swap refined flrs with wholesome flrs like multigrain atta, gluten free atta.
Modify your deep fried snacks: Calories consumed through deep fried foods are empty calories because they have no benefits. Try your best to avoid the deep fried snacks, if not possible have baked version of your shankarpali, chakli, karanji. Make salted munchies such as mathris, namak para, chaklis, kachoris, etc, using high-fibre flour using finger millet or bajra, ragi or soya along with wheat flour. Add green leafy vegetables such as methi (fenugreek), spinach, coriander or mint to salted snacks.
Try different version of healthy snacks like Multigrain shankarpali, Dates and Nuts Karanji, Baked Chakli.
Do eat what you like, but control your portions: Diet is always about moderation and being able to make correct food choices. You could definitely indulge in sweets and fried foods, but limit the portions to one single piece or one small bowl once a day. If you are offered sweets just take a small bite. Do share your sweets with your loved ones after all “SHARING IS CARING”
Balance your meals: Follow your regular meal timings, preferably eating every two hours. Since you’ll probably be partaking of dried fruits and sweets throughout the day during visits to friends and families, try to compensate by keeping dinner light, sticking to soups and salads and protein foods for this meal and giving carbs a miss.
Drink up: No! Not the beer. It is very important that you drink at least 2-3 liters of water regularly. Dehydration can make you crave for sweets as the body may get confused between thirst and hunger. This also means that you need to avoid carbonated beverages such as sodas and other soft drinks.
Don’t forget to exercise: Yes you might be busy in the festival but find out some time for exercise. Go for a brisk walk, jog or play some outdoor games. Keep yourself active throughout.
Try out our healthy tips to maintain your weight this Diwali and I am sure you won’t be disappointed. But do remember You need to be conscious about the type of food you eat and also how much of that you consume. Eating healthy does not mean you can eat too much, as they still contain calories.
Below are some healthy recipes you can try this DIWALI.
WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY AND HEALTHY DIWALI!
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